almost eighteen years ago to June 19, 2001 and a very tall hat (topping a sorbet striped suit) worn by the Countess of Wessex to Ascot. It’s a memorable look, this one.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
I look forward to reading your responses to this hat! If there are any royal hats worn around the world today, please share and discuss in the comments as well.
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
No adequate words for her suit. Considering how well Sopjhie dresses now it’s easy to forget her wardrobe used to be dire. The hat isn’t to my liking but it gets a pass because it is Ascot and it’s less offensive than that suit!
I remember this from the time. A lot of look! Sophie dives straight into the more out there side of milinery, let alone the suit! It wasn’t always a success and I’d say this fits into that bracket, but I guess she had to play in the deep end before she hit her stride; and became the amazing hatter that she is today.
I can appreciate the craftsmanship on the hat. It’s architecture is fascinating. However it overpoweres the countess. In fact it is higher than her husband’s top hat.
The pairing with her outfit is disastrous. her stylist must have thought that a neutral colored hat would go well with a rainbow colored outfit. But instead complementing the outfit, it clashes for attention.
I don’t think we will see this hat any time soon.
Wow this is a hat I don’t remember ever seeing. As large as the hat is it is lost to the colors of the dress. Perhaps as crazy as it might have looked the hat should have been a color of the dress.
I liked this outfit then-especially the hat but I believe it looks a little “dated” now. The colours are lovely . As to the pizza question, the Duchess of Cambridge has told children that they make it at home because George especially loves it. You probably would not serve it to Her Majesty for tea because she does not eat garlic or spicy foods. Perhaps just cheese! 🙂
Princess Yoko of Mikasa attended the 52nd Miyasama Charity Bowling Competition at Shinagawa Prince Hotel on November 25, 2018.
The hat is fun without being cartoonish, but it gets lost topping that outfit.
This isn’t a hat to share but a very sweet royal exchange wondering if the Queen likes pizza.
I saw this earlier today as well! This is one of life’s important questions . . .
I agree with others that the neutral hat gets lost against all the bright colors. That suit! I don’t suppose I realized Sophie was taking such big fashion risks so early on. It’s fun to see how her style has evolved.
This one is definitely tall, but it’s actually pretty well balanced in terms of the overall look IMO. Many hats Sophie wore in the early 2000s were of greatly exaggerated shapes and sizes, and many were unflattering as they just looked too big on her. Her outfit looks like something from the 90s; too many random colors in a color-block scheme unfortunately, but a nice try at working to brighten things up!
Oh My. I like the suit, but for me the pale hat feels like a record scratch. Count me as one who thinks the hat should have matched the top color of the suit. As for the hat itself- seems very much of the time, which means aesthetically I don’t care for it at all, but kudos to the CoW for wearing so much varied millinery over the years.
I guess that suit called for a neutral hat. Glad to see I’m not the only one seeing “the Cat in the Hat” in her hat. Make it 3 for 3 in the tallest hat post idea.
It is almost as if she is echoing the top hats being worn at this event, but with a sheer fabric and a kind of Dr. Seuss vibe. And speaking of the famous author, that suit is something he might have drawn! And an upvote for a “tallest hats” survey from me too!
I like it. It’s a bit dated but it works well for Sophie.
How about a series on the tallest hats worn by our favorite royals? 😉
That could be fun! I’ll put something together in February.
Excellent! I’m excited already 🙂